WEEDS AND WEED-CUTTING 349 



accumulations already in Southampton Water. This 

 must greatly increase the expense of dredging the 

 channel to a depth sufficient for the large ocean- 

 going steamers of the present day. The weed-masses 

 floating down too are found fouling the screws of the 

 large liners, and in some cases even causing delay 

 in the commencement of their voyages. Many years 

 ago the Thames Conservancy had a clause in their 

 Act of Parliament in pursuance of which they have 

 ever since prevented cut weeds from being sent down 

 not only in the Thames itself, but even in the smallest 

 tributary of it. Throughout the lengths of water 

 controlled by the Thames Conservancy all cut weeds 

 are taken out of the river, and on every dry-fly stream 

 in the United Kingdom the same rule would apply 

 if only steps were taken to enforce the fishery lessees' 

 rights on the subject. 



The side and bar system which I have continually 



advocated for many years 

 Systems of weed- wherever carried out intelli- 



cutting. gently has not only improved 



the sport, but in addition has 

 greatly decreased the labour of the keepers in cutting 

 the weeds during the season. Briefly, it is to bar the 

 shallows and side the deeps. 



The meaning of the expression to bar a shallow 



is that transversely across the 

 How to bar a shallow, stream a number of clean, 



bright gravel-bars are to be 

 formed by rooting up, as far as possible, the weeds 



